Azerbaijani checkpoint opens on border with Armenia, at entrance to Lachin road, in response to Armenian actions - border service

BAKU. April 24 (Interfax) - The Azerbaijani State Border Service reported the opening of a checkpoint on the border with Armenia, at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road, on Sunday.

"Contrary to the trilateral statement of November 10, 2020, for the purpose of prevention of illegal transit of troops, ammunition, mines and other military supplies from Armenia for Armenian armed units in the territory of Azerbaijan, and in response to the unilateral opening of an Armenian checkpoint at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road, on the border with Azerbaijan, on April 22, units of the State Border Service of the Azerbaijani Republic opened a border checkpoint on the sovereign territory of our country, on the border with Armenia, at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road, at noon on April 23," the service said.

The command of the Russian peacekeeping continent and the Russian-Turkish monitoring center were informed about the opening of the Azerbaijani checkpoint on the border with Armenia, it said.

In turn, the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said that the border control mechanism would ensure transparency of cross-border traffic, while control would be exercised together with the Russian peacekeeping contingent.

"The creation of a border control mechanism at the entrance to the Lachin road will ensure the legality and transparency of traffic along this road and, therefore, its security," the ministry said in a statement on its website.

"Consistent with the obligations under the trilateral statement, the additional measure, which serves as Azerbaijan's guarantee of security for persons, vehicles and cargo transiting the Lachin road, necessary conditions will be created for the transparent and streamlined transit of Armenian residents of the Karabakh region of Azerbaijan from this point to Armenia and Azerbaijan in both directions," the ministry said.

"The aforesaid control mechanism will be operated in collaboration with the Russian peacekeeping contingent," it said.

"The Azerbaijani side declares its readiness for cooperation to ensure a transparent and safe mechanism of control and admission on the border with Armenia," the ministry said.

The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said earlier that, on April 22, Armenia opened a checkpoint "at the entrance to the Lachin-Khankendi road, on the border with Azerbaijan, without prior coordination, which is a unilateral breach of the trilateral declaration of November 10, 2020."